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Meet Dayna Francis Founder and CEO of Dionne Swim

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Dayna Francis.

Dayna, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I always had a passion for fashion but I believe I ignored it because my main focus was working in entertainment as a Television Producer. My journey as an entrepreneur started when the show I was working on “Braxton Family Values” went on hiatus until the next season. I was looking for my next gig and reached out to a few people in my network but everyone I reached out to already had shows in production or was also looking for their next gig. I did not know what was next, but I knew I would be working in some aspect.

Starting a business has always been a goal of mine for at least six years, but I was to wrap up in building my career in television to do it. I also did not know what business I wanted to start. One late morning around 2 am or so, I was full of frustration because I did not know what my next steps were going to be, and I was determined to do something. God then blessed me with the idea to start an e-commerce swimwear business, after browsing through Instagram randomly. Everyone had online clothing boutiques but no one was selling swimwear but big brands. Immediately it clicked and that’s when Dionne Swim was born. I knew it would be something I would enjoy because I was so passionate about fashion, and secondly I had a great eye with me receiving compliments about my outfits regularly as well as my vacation looks when I would travel. I begin working literally the next day researching, finding vendors, coming up names for my brand which I decided on my middle name “Dionne” and added Swim. I then worked on putting together a creative production team that would allow my ideas to flourish. I worked every day as if I was working for someone else. I got the idea in mid /late April and dropped my line on June 22. I cultivated all the skills I learned as Producer and used it to benefit my brand from making call sheets, scouting and securing locations, approving models and edits, directing shoots, delegating tasks and overseeing the production to ensure that everything runs smoothly. Today, I have successfully produced four Dionne Swim shoots and each time I am on my own set it gives me a rush of joy that I don’t get from anywhere else. I can honestly say if I had found another gig in television I would have missed the biggest blessing of my life which was the birth of me becoming an entrepreneur and starting Dionne Swim.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Every business has smooth roads and those times when you hit a pot hole as I would say while trying to rush towards the green light. For me, my biggest struggle or pot hole was learning the ins and out of an e-commerce business. I did not understand how I would have over 250 people on my website in one month but didn’t have half of that in sales. I was never a person that was big on social media, I do not post regularly or care about having a big following or many likes on my personal page. I am so confident in myself that I don’t care what others think of me. But when you have a business and trying to market it others you have to consider everything, and social media is a big platform that would help scale your business. I had to take myself back to school. I had to learn how to use social media as a tool to generate income and not only Instagram but Facebook! I had to learn to set up my SEO, use Google as a platform to reach a boarder audience and to simply be more connected with my audience. There were days when my main focus was learning different marketing techniques which included watching YouTube videos from successful business gurus on how to optimized Facebook and Google to increase sales, utilizing business videos Shopify offered and reading books.

Another pop hole I would say is me funding every aspect of my brand by myself, while still maintaining my life. Not being able to produce as many collections as I would like because there are budgets set in place frustrated me greatly! I am so passionate about my brand that I just want to take off soaring. But I learned that everything takes time, patience and growth. I just launched my business and I have high expectations. I found that it does not matter how many collections you drop but the quality of the collections. The vision I have for my brand is not just selling merchandise on social media but building a sustainable brand that sells globally and attracting customers that not only like my swimwear but the overall mission statement of my brand which celebrates women of all shapes and sizes encouraging them to be bold, fearless and unapologetic with each piece I produce being a staple to encourages that. Once I got comfortable knowing that there is no rush because Rome was not built in a day, getting positive feedback from my customers and people commenting on the overall aesthetic of my brand I knew that everything was happening as it should be. In general, it allowed me to learn not to allow my excitement to get the best of me. It taught me that I am not hitting pot holes or experiencing struggles but slowing down at a yellow light to fully grasp the business I have and to be appreciative of the steps that I am taking with the vision God blessed me with.

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Dionne Swim story. Tell us more about the business.
Dionne Swim is a luxury vacation line, fusing intricate print work, vibrant colors and cuts that encourage all women to be confident, fearless, and unapologetic. We celebrate women of all shapes and sizes. Each piece is hand-picked to ensure that the overall quality and aesthetic is of the highest standard. I pride myself in only producing products that I would wear and that I simply love. There is not one piece that I do not love dearly. What makes me proud of my company is seeing the finished product of each shoot. I work very hard to make sure that each campaign adheres to the overall aesthetic of my brand and set a vibe that speaks to my audience. I feel like each brand does what work for them, and I love seeing everyone thrive. But for me, what sets me apart is the amount of passion and hard work I put into each campaign and collection. From my very first collection, I was shooting at locations creating beautiful shots that not only display my swimwear but adds artistic flavor with the scenery. I never just wanted to photograph myself in any background and just throw it up on my website or business social accounts. I knew that I wanted to market my brand  professionally from day one, where people can see the dedication and passion that goes into each aspect. Each shoot I post BTS allowing my audience to get a sneak peek of the pieces and the live action behind the scenes, generating excitement for each drop. They get to see my team and I work hard while also enjoying what we do best.

Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I do not believe in luck. I believe in God and blessings. I believe God has blessed me tremendously in all aspects of my life to be the young woman that I am today in life and business. Starting my journey in television was not an easy road. I graduated with a Bachelor’s in Journalism and like any college graduate straight out of college I had the perception that I will land a job in a few months making at least 60k -70k a year. But that was not the case for me and like many college graduates it is not the case. I had no experience but went on several job interviews for publishing companies, and production companies only to be discouraged because I did not get the job. It was times when I would get through two phone interviews only to get to the final interview and not get a call back. Going through that cycle made me work harder. I had to put matters in my own hands. I started working at a café and interning at a Production Company where I would get off of work and run to my internship. I was working on the Wall Street at the time and God set me up so good that the production company I interned at was literally down the block from my job. When my internship ended, I was already annoyed at working at the café and ended up quitting. I was out of work for about two months and was randomly on the phone with a good friend of mine that I met in college who worked at Viacom as a Production Assistant. I told him about all I was experiencing, and he offered to send my resume to his Line Producer. I met with her, and she immediately took a liking to me. My first Production Assistant gig was about a month later on a Nickelodeon shoot with Nick Cannon on Jesse J. From then I was booked and busy working for Viacom as a PA, and when I was not at Viacom I picked up gigs at NBC. Now I have moved out of New York and living in LA where I am no longer a Production Assistant but a Producer. My move to LA was also a blessing God set up because when I was bi- coastal between NY and LA I was not fond of LA. I still ended up moving here in the long run however. Being a Producer on shows like Growing Up Hip Hop, Mary Mary and Braxton Family Values allowed me to learn so much from all aspects of production which aided the woman I am in business today. I used all the skills I learned in production and took them to my own business. The blessing in disguise was that God was setting me up to be my own boss all along, but I had to learn certain skills to master the craft successfully. I was able to start a business on my own while still maintaining my lifestyle living by myself and not working. God forced me to be still for me to see my full potential and get a clear vision of the woman he wants me to be. I am constantly getting downloads of so many fruitful ideas, and Dionne Swim was one of them. As I mentioned, if I had started working on a show right away I would not be an entrepreneur, it would still be a goal on my list waiting to be accomplished. I did not see what he was doing at the moment, but as I look back at the months prior I am thankful that it all happen. Now I am not only a television producer but I have my own business with so much more on the way. So I advise people to never look at things as good or bad luck because what is meant for you will happen because it is already yours, things just take time.

Pricing:

  • Swimwear is priced from $35-$70

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